This is the site to reference the story of Burnt Church Road Cemetery:
**Also scroll down and read through the anonymous comments. While I think some of them are complete BS... some are interesting-- ill let you make your own assumptions.
The actual town of Lakeland is very small town (the gas stations don't have debit/credit card options to pay at the pump, lol), but it is also very pretty. I wouldn't say it is a spooky little town at all. Though I always do find it spooky when I cannot get cell service for an entire 20mi radius, so that was a little unnerving. Driving to a small town I've never been to that is 30 minutes off the free way, by myself, and no cell service to top it off. Kind of freaky, but I was going in the middle of the day though, so freaky- but not scary.
The road gets really curvy just before you get to the cemetery, and at first sight it is kind of spooky, go around a curve and then boom- out of no where- boarded up church and cemetery hidden behind bushes... I drove past it the first time and up the road. There are houses and a closed up boy scout camp just past it. Any boy scouts that are willing to spend the night there after all the spooky stories are brave. Really brave.
After turning around and getting parked I got out and walked around. The old church is boarded up and fenced in and once you get in to the grave yard you understand why. Vandalism is apparently very common here. So many tombstones are broken! Even flower pots are turned over and shattered. It's very sad. Some people have no respect for anyone or anything.
The graves are all very old. Most graves date from the 1800s to early 1900s. It looks as though some of these tombstones were replaced because some look brand new with these dates on them, but with all the vandalism I'm sure family members in the area must maintain these graves. There are a TON of unmarked graves as well.
I took some videos, and I did hear people talking, but it was in the distance-- and they were men's voices. Since there are plenty of houses around I wouldn't think twice about it. I took many pictures and didn't see any orbs, shadows, cats, etc. The church was boarded up so there was no one to see in a window, and I am not one to drive around trees to entice spirits, or say "Bloody Mary" three times in a dark bathroom. So I think a lot of the comments on the website (see link above) are just a bunch of stories kids tell each other to freak themselves out. Which is always a lot of fun.
I am not going to lie though- I did get spooked. I walked around for about 30 minutes and I was taking a video on my iPod- I was bent over reading a tombstone and I felt someone behind me. (My husband bends over my back without touching me whenever I'm reaching for something and when I turn my head he yells or screeches at me. Even though I know he's about to do it- it makes me jump and scream every time. He thinks he's hysterical.) I kind of froze and really hoped I was not about to experience what my husband does to me-- because in fact my husband was not with me.... So I turn very slowly... and nothing is there. Instant relief. So I stop the video and start taking random pics hoping to catch something. This is when it happens. The iPod is lifted out of my hands for a split second. Literally a split second. Like the weight of it was in my hand and then it wasn't and then it was. I kind of just stood there for a minute like-- hmm... did my hands go numb for a second? What happened? NO idea. I wasn't scared, just intrigued. I walked around a few more minutes, but decided it was time to go. After all I am in the middle of no where, no cell coverage, and by myself, and of course I have exceeded my maximum limit of horror movie consumption in my lifetime (one was my limit). I am always expecting the worst in small towns, or in the middle of no where... especially when there is no cell phone coverage-- too much horror movie potential.
Later after I met up with my parents we drove past the cemetery again so they could see it, and it was even less spooky seeing it with other people around me. We went to the McDonald's (the only restaurant we saw) in town for lunch, and the people were all normal and friendly-- no horror movies came to mind.
Overall, it was a very interesting cemetery to walk around. I love reading through the names and dates of people who lived a hundred years ago. The church isn't really spooky- it is rebuilt, and it's boarded up and fenced in-- not much potential for spooky vibes unfortunately. Maybe going at night with someone else would be a little spookier, but since it is so far out- I most likely wont be making another trip out there. If you live closer and take a venture out to Burnt Church Road Cemetery let me know what you think and/or experience.
Here's some pics of the church, grave yard, and surrounding area:
Until my next adventure, happy travels!
